Jackson Turner Frontier Thesis

To begin with, the 15th and 16th centuries mark the commencement of European colonization and the integration of American and European culture. Countless Europeans and American Indians were influenced by one another, throughout the Columbian Exchange. Granted, the Native Americans suffered immensely, but there are more importantly numerous significant advantages to be noticed because of European migration. The Columbian Exchange led to the introduction of various products and sources of food, the merging of different groups of people, and transformations in American government and economy. Without the combination of European and American Indian culture, life today would be incredibly less progressive and different.

Turner hesitates to mention anyone in his essay who is not male or Germanic or at least European, leaving out huge demographics of people who heavily influenced the West. The lack of recognition for the people who actually built the country, with or without choice, is detrimental to history and representation later on in America. The Europeans that came to America had very oppressive laws of property which they carried over with them. The Natives who had been living there for years had a very different concept of property; many believed that the land was gifted to everyone and no one person could own any part of that land.

In the journal article “ Andrew Jackson versus the Historians”, author Charles G. Sellers explained the various interpretations of Jackson, from the viewpoint of Whig historians and Progressive Historians. These interpretations were based on the policies of Jackson. The Whig historians viewed the former president in a negative way. They considered him arrogant, ignorant, and not fit for being president. Sellers pointed out that it was not just because of “Jackson’s personality…nor was it the general policies he pursued as president”

When the settlers of Europe first came to the new world, they were introduced to the Native Americans. The settlers wanted the Natives to follow their culture and its benefits such as education, religion, and the usage of the environment. The Native Americans refused the request, stating they have their own type of culture, believing it to be the most superior; as a result, the Natives’ statement angered the ethnocentric settlers. Consequently, this caused a conflict between the two groups because of their culture differences. Firstly, the main culture difference consists of religion, tradition, and way of living.

In response to Ms. Poston's question: one way that America could maintain its greatness was by alleviating poverty and educating the masses (From Urban Growing Pains, To Political Dysfunction & Corruption - 1870-1900, Slide 31). By accomplishing these two key objectives, America would be encouraging the furthering of technology and ideals, which is a concept that Natalie earlier touched. I also agree with Ms. Poston with the way she interpreted Turner, that the West was, in fact, closed. I believe that Americans probably felt both accomplished, as they achieved Manifest Destiny, and they felt let down, due to the fact that they had nowhere else to explore or discover(Redefining the South & the Final Conquest of the American West , Slide 30).

Throughout history America has had hundreds of transformative events that have changed the course of history through political, economic, and sociocultural effects. The most significant events aren’t the ones everyone remembers for being exciting but rather the ones that have impacted society and individuals the most. Many of these events that have shaped America most profoundly include wars, presidents, supreme court decisions, but they also include such events such as natural disasters, fires, and even scientific findings. Each event has not only impacted the time period it was set in but also may even still be impacting our lives today. By studying and analyzing America’s history one can learn the struggles and triumphs of a young nation that became the superpower it is today.

As Marcus Aurelius once said, “Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away”. Time passes by swiftly and soon events, names, and struggles get lost in the depths of history. History becomes a vast pit of several conglomerated dates that soon lack importance or gain importance depending on the present time period. The history of the United States started roughly around 1607 when several pilgrims came to the New World for better opportunities. Now zoom 410 years to present day where our world consists of massive industrialization, expansion of technology, and intricate international affairs.

He also mentions that America would always be frontier as people believe on risking and gaining opportunities for their life. I believe America was booming back then and also booming now, it is just the different way of doing it. The rich people are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, and this lead to great decrease in economic. Yes, it is

Remnants of the influencers’ philosophies still exist in present day. Frederick Jackson Turner believed that in order to keep the American

The contrasts between the American West and East in the nineteenth century range from a new start to the adventure of the living in the Wild West. The east had become overcrowded and did not allow much opportunity for people of lesser wealth. “In 1893, the historian Frederick Jackson Turner gave a celebrated lecture, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” in which he argued that on the western frontier the distinctive qualities of American culture were forged: individual freedom, political democracy, and economic mobility. The West, he added, acted as a “safety

“Turner’s “frontier thesis” became immensely popular among intellectuals and the public as a justification for U.S expansion abroad.” The quotation states that the United States took advantage of Frontier’s thesis and used it as a justification for imperialism. The Frontier’s thesis stated “this expansion westward with its new opportunities, its continuous touch with the simplicity of primitive society, furnish the forces dominating American character. The true point of view in the history of this nation is not the Atlantic coast, it is the Great West.

European exploration of the West began in 1500 and continued to flourish for over three centuries. While colonizing this new land, Europeans first came into contact with the native peoples. European religious views, gender roles, and land ownership shaped their interactions with Native Americans. The English, for example, practiced Christianity, while the Native Americans possessed a more spiritual and animalistic religion. Native American societies were heavily reliant on women for not only household duties, but also agricultural responsibilities.

Upon the first colonial establishments, the Europeans viewed Native Americans as uncultured, unintelligent, and uncivilized. The first colonizers found themselves ultimately superior to the perceived rudimentary cultural and societal customs that were observed. Native Americans viewed Europeans as a strictly one sided cultural mass enforcement foreign establishment, stopping at nothing to enforce their perceived superiority in all forms of cultural and societal aspects. Differences in land use, gender roles, and societal history added to the wedging and hostility between the Native Americans and European people. Upon the European's first impression of Native American culture, the first notable aspect of their "species" and society was their promising outlook as potential slave laborers.

According to Chapter one of Major Problems in American History

It arise when the president stated Americans ' previous achievements where he said "For a century we labored to settle and to subdue a continent. For half a century we called upon unbounded invention and untiring industry